Former Bangladesh skipper Mashrafe Mortaza on Sunday confirmed his return to competitive cricket after eight months. The 37-year-old didn’t play any competitive cricket ever since the coronavirus pandemic struck the globe in March.
He has now been signed by Gemcon Khulna for the ongoing edition of the Bangabandhu T20 Cup. Considering the value of Mortaza in the shortest format of the game, four of five teams showed interest in him after he confirmed his availability.
“Mashrafe got picked by Gemcon Khulna through a lottery held at BCB office today,” Khulna officials confirmed in a press release.
Mortaza had tested positive for COVID-19 back in June, recovered from the virus by mid-July. He will now don Khulna’s jersey in the side’s Bangabandhu T20 Cup most likely on December 10.
“We are delighted to have Mortaza playing for Gemcon Khulna. Despite Narail [district where Mortaza was born] being a part of Khulna, he did not play for Khulna (in any franchise league). I hope the team will perform better and the players will be encouraged to have him beside them,” Gemcon Khulna’s managing director Kazi Inam said.
Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) also confirmed Mortaza’s fitness after he started his training for the tournament on December 1.
“He passed the fitness test, that made him eligible for the lottery,” BCB chief selector Minhajul Abedin told Cricbuzz on Sunday.
